Weisman Art Museum

09/04/2026

“‘Merciless’: Indigenous Lands Since 1776” opens on September 26 as a commemoration and celebration of Indigenous resistance. Through various media, each artistic contribution aims to manifest the “unseen” within the public sphere, integrating spiritual entities and traditional teachings, and bridging the celestial and terrestrial worlds of Indigenous oral histories. This exhibition, featuring both indoor and outdoor installations, emphasizes Indigenous resilience and an enduring bond with this place known as Bde Óta Othúŋwe, or Minneapolis. The featured artists—Natchez Beaulieu, Marlena Myles, and Missy Whiteman—critically re-examine an immutable Indigenous history.

The exhibition title derives from the section of the Declaration of Independence regarding Indigenous populations, which states: “He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.”

In response, “‘Merciless’” provides a reflective space to acknowledge this history, spanning from the United States’ adoption of the Declaration to the subsequent erosion of liberties for both the land and its original people. Throughout the preceding 250 years, Indigenous communities have demonstrated remarkable persistence; these artistic acts of resilience are intended to fortify their ongoing connection to the land well beyond the semiquincentennial.

“'Merciless': Indigenous Lands Since 1776” is organized by Weisman Art Museum and curated by Kendra Greendeer, Ihlenfeld Curator of Collaborative and Community Exhibitions.

Swipe for the lineup of artists featured in the exhibition and a teaser of what you might find at the exhibition.

08/31/2026

"Tiffany Chung: indelible traces", the first comprehensive survey of Tiffany Chung’s career, showcases the intricately drawn or embroidered maps that she is best known for alongside her sculptures, videos, performances, and installations. Bringing together traces, fragments, and voices that have been silenced, her art questions not only how history is told but also who tells that history, who belongs within it, and who and what are excluded. Ultimately, Chung utilizes this reckoning with history to powerfully inform our future actions.

Tiffany Chung, "Global Spice Trade: routes from ancient times to the age of exploration/exploitation", 2024–2025. Embroidery on fabric, 140 x 380 cm (55 x 149 ½ in.). Courtesy of the artist, Kiang Malingue Gallery, Hong Kong | New York, Max Estrella Galería, Madrid, and RYAN LEE Gallery, New York. Image by Andrea Rossetti. © Tiffany Chung

Vietnamese American artist Tiffany Chung pointedly reveals histories that have too often been overlooked or intentionally ignored. Chung is attuned to the ways that knowledge replicates power, erasing as much as it records. Seeking to fill in the gaps left out of official reports, she draws on the Japanese concept of ma, the emptiness or space between things, to challenge historical narratives written by those who hold power or influence. She incorporates statistical data, extensive archival research, and documentation with people’s lived experiences to reconstruct more complete stories of historical events and to create new systems of representation that include what has been left out and what remains unknowable.

Chung investigates landscapes and migratory networks marked by climate change and wars, colonialism and nation building, post-industrialization and urbanization by tracing the relationships between living beings, the built environment, nature, and forces of power. She mines the histories of single sites to reveal systems of power and cycles of transformation—natural or humanmade, resilient or destructive—across stretches of geological time. Conversely, she traces the complex interconnections of people, animals, cultures, flora, and fauna as they move around the world. Together, her

08/14/2026

Apologies for jumping on this trend but you can't deny it's also...kinda chic.

08/13/2026

𖦹๋࣭⭑ Introducing a reinvented Weisman Art Museum Membership! ⭑𖦹๋࣭ ⁠
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Join now during the Fall Member Drive through September 13. ⁠
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Choose from two Membership Levels: Ripple or Confluence, with an array of tax-deductible member-only benefits for each. For example, as a Confluence Member, you will get access to the upcoming Cavern + Archive Tour at Elmer L. Anderson Library with a charcuterie spread and treats by the St Paul Cheese Shop, along with a selection of non-alcoholic beverages procured from Marigold. Experience a private viewing of historical Weisman artifacts dating back to when WAM was the University Art Gallery, housed at Northrop. The evening will also include a true behind-the-scenes moment during a tour of Andersen Library’s enormous underground caverns, where they house their collection. ⁠
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As a member, you are supporting free and inclusive arts experiences for everyone. Join a community of fellow supporters who believe art is essential to the human experience, with the power to shape a more equitable future! ⁠
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View a list of benefits and learn more at: z.umn.edu/JoinWAM
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08/10/2026

Amp up your Welcome Week with performances by three up-and-coming bands from Minneapolis’ iconic music scene– right here at your museum. New to campus? Learn more about University of Minnesota resources, from contemporary art exhibitions to mental health-focused student groups, meet other students and get to know this place that’s designed for you!

SEPT. 9, 2026
4-8 p.m.
FREE, open to all

𑣲𝄞 Live music with headliner REIKI (6:45PM), Jada Brown (5:45PM), and University of Minnesota Battle of the Bands winner Spiderlily (5:00PM).
Ⰶ SWAG (postcards and totes) will be screenprinted on the plaza with Bohemian Press and RadioK will curate the mood with a live DJ.
☕︎ Get your caffeine fix from MisFit—back at WAM with the coffee cart.
⋆.°Browse arts organizations and more at the student-led tabling fair inside the museum.
🎨Make and take art in Open Studio.

08/06/2026

05/04/2026

Dr. Akosua Addo recently visited the Weisman with students from MUED 5301 Classroom Music Methods to activate the “Never Spoken Again” exhibition. These types of activations and experiences are what make WAM a uniquely situated site of learning and collaboration at the University of Minnesota. The Weisman brings world-renowned artists and ideas to students and in doing so, our team hopes to offer this place as a space of respite and reflection.

“Never Spoken Again” is on view through May 17, 2026. If you’d like to bring a class or group to the museum please visit our website to connect with our Public Engagement and Learning department.

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day from WAM!

[1] Katherine Nash, "Fractured Earth (also Luminous Earth)," 1975. Welded stainless steel, 59 × 49 × 19 in. Bequest of Katherine E. Nash. 1997.1.11. Not on view. [2] George Morrison, “Reflected Distance. Earth Day. Red Rock Variation: Lake Superior Landscape”, 1994. Acrylic on canvas on board, 7 1/2 × 18 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. Gift of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Hassam, Speicher, Betts and Symons Funds, 1995.4, not on view. [3] Rhoda Kellogg, "The Green Earth," 1975. Oil on hardboard, 23 3/4 × 19 7/8 in. Gift of Luciano Lattanzi and Dolly Fiterman. 1987.3.1. Not on view. [4] Alexander Vasiliev, "Depths of the Earth," 20th century. Oil and collage, 23 1/2 × 27 3/4 in. Gift of Henry and Ludmilla N. Shapiro. 1985.92.7. Not on view.

04/21/2026

Today marks the ten year anniversary of Prince’s death. Enjoy a look back on our celebration of the legend’s early years in Minneapolis: “Prince from Minneapolis” which was on view from December 9, 2017 - June 17, 2018. Did you attend the opening party? How has The Purple One touched your life? Let us know in the comments!

Image credits: (1) Image by Terry Gydesen, “Mixing a song at Bullet Studios in Amsterdam”, 1993. (2) de la Torre brothers, “Tonali de un principe (A Prince’s Animal Spirit)”, 2016. Blown glass and resin base, 32” x 20” x 20”. (4) Rock Cyfi Martinez, "I Would Die 4 U," 2017. Acrylic aerosol on canvas. Photo by Jayme Halbritter for the Weisman Art Museum. (8) Crop art portrait of Prince by Lilian Colton. (3, 5-7, 9) Photo by Jayme Halbritter for the Weisman Art Museum.

04/20/2026

Are you participating in the 175th Anniversary Ice Cream Flavor Contest? Comment below (1-7) which of these WAM-staff ideas you'd like us to submit 👽